Chapter 139 Is A Heng a Spy?

Chapter 139: Is A Heng a Spy?

Almost instinctively, that scene flashed in Xue Han's mind: the two of them fighting, the little thief lifting her leg to kick him, him grabbing her ankle tightly, and finally both tumbling onto the rooftop...

That kind of close contact immediately told him that the thief was a woman.

The young man stared at Qiu Heng's right ankle, his eyes dark.

Why was there a bruise on A Heng's ankle?

"Xue Han—" Qiu Heng's eyelids were heavy, and she called out, eyes still closed.

Though her voice was soft, Xue Han was startled, quickly pulling his gaze away from her ankle.

"I'm here."

He tried to keep his voice steady, even though Qiu Heng was the one under suspicion, he somehow felt guilty.

"Do you have a handkerchief on you? Could you help me wipe my face? There's blood all over my face, it's uncomfortable..."

"Oh, alright." Xue Han quickly reached into his bosom and pulled out a handkerchief.

It was already soaked through with his clothes. He rinsed it a few times in the lake, then leaned close to Qiu Heng, gently wiping the blood off her face.

The white handkerchief turned crimson, and the girl's face was pale again.

The young man held the handkerchief and watched her in silence.

With her eyes closed, her brows were long and smooth, her thick, fine lashes fluttering now and then, making her look incredibly fragile.

This A Heng, he couldn't connect her with that thief.

A Heng, what kind of person are you?

Could she be... a spy from another country?

If so, what should he do?

Xue Han gave a bitter smile.

He never imagined that his original excuse for visiting Earl Yongqing's mansion—to confirm if A Heng was the little girl who gave him red bean cakes ten years ago, under the pretext of suspecting the reclaimed Sixth Miss Qiu of being a spy—might actually turn out to be true.

"Xue Han." The girl with closed eyes suddenly opened them, her eyes softer than autumn water. "Are you spacing out?"

Xue Han was dazed for a moment, his mind racing, but his voice stayed gentle: "Yes, I was spacing out."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Thinking about—" Xue Han looked at the girl, pale-faced yet with a smile on her lips, "Thinking that this episode seems a lot worse than before. Did your old illness change?"

Could this old illness be poison?

Using poison to control spies or assassins was common.

"Maybe, I don't really know," Qiu Heng answered truthfully.

She didn't know how long heaven would put up with her, this odd one. Maybe when she truly changed the fate of Great Xia's downfall, heaven would take her back.

Qiu Heng stared at Xue Han, her eyes soft.

She wanted to look at him more while she still could.

She thought she knew him well, but now his eyes held emotions she couldn't quite read.

"Sixth Miss Qiu."

"Hmm?"

"I know a retired imperial doctor living in the mountains, really skilled. If you want, I can take you to see him." Xue Han paused slightly in his speech. "This doctor is very ethical and won't talk about a patient's condition with anyone."

"For an illness this strange, I won't waste the doctor's time." Afraid Xue Han would keep pushing, Qiu Heng raised her hand. "I'm feeling a bit better. I'll go inside and change."

Xue Han helped her up, then turned his back to the cabin and faced the lake.

The lake water was clear, ripples endless, stretching all the way into his heart.

The young man fished a copper coin from his pouch and angrily flung it across the lake.

The coin skipped across the surface a few times, kicking up tiny splashes, before finally sinking into the water.

"Official Xue, that was a great skip!" came the girl's light voice from behind.

Xue Han spun around to see Qiu Heng, her hair up, wearing dry clothes.

In just the time it took to change, she looked totally different. Though her face was still pale, her eyes were bright and full of life.

Xue Han was momentarily dazed.

Maybe the dying, suffering A Heng from just now was just his imagination, and the shocking green bruises on her pale ankle were also his imagination.

Xue Han flicked another copper coin from his fingers, lowering his eyes to hide his mockery.

He was really good at deceiving himself.

Qiu Heng handed him the neatly folded clothes: "You should change too."

Xue Han silently took them and entered the cabin, emerging quickly in dry clothes.

"They fit well," he said, his tone inexplicable.

Qiu Heng's expression was calm: "They were prepared for you."

Xue Han's eyes flickered with doubt.

"Official Xue always appears when my old illness flares up, and your clothes get wet easily, so I kept a set for you."

"Thank you," Xue Han replied absently, turning his gaze to the lake.

"What did Official Xue use to skip stones just now?" Qiu Heng asked, sitting beside him.

Xue Han reached into his pouch and pulled out a copper coin: "This."

"Using copper coins!" Qiu Heng took the coin and played with it. "Official Xue is so generous."

Xue Han stared at the teasing girl and said gruffly, "Not usually."

"True, it's only when facing the lake that one suddenly gets the urge."

Xue Han twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself: It wasn't the urge, but a tangled heart, not knowing what to do with you.

"I can do it too."

Qiu Heng raised her hand and flicked the copper coin across the water. It skipped across the lake like a lively little fish.

"Stones skip better, though."

Xue Han smiled. "You know a lot of things, Sixth Miss Qiu."

"You know a lot too, Official Xue."

"When I was a kid, I hung out on the streets. Skipping stones was something regular kids did."

Qiu Heng smiled. "Me too. Climbing trees, catching fish, skipping stones, playing cuju—stuff country kids loved."

Xue Han fell silent.

He had caused her to be torn from her family and stranded in a foreign land. If she'd become a spy for another country, it would be his fault.

"I should head back." Qiu Heng braced herself on the boat's planks and leaned back a little.

She wasn't doing as well as she looked.

After this flare-up, she still hurt and was exhausted.

But she didn't want Xue Han to worry about her.

Would Xue Han... actually worry about her?

Qiu Heng didn't want to kid herself. Even when she was in agony and out of it, she could still tell Xue Han had lost his cool.

Caring about someone makes you lose your cool.

"I'll have to trouble you to row the boat, Official Xue."

Xue Han looked hard at the girl, her face as pale as paper.

Her eyes were so bright you'd forget she'd just been through that pain.

A will like that is one in a hundred.

The suspicion that she was a spy grew in the young man's heart, but he couldn't bring himself to hate her. He only hated that he couldn't control his own feelings.

Xue Han picked up the bamboo pole and poled the boat toward the shore.

"You can stop here, Official Xue." When they were near the manor, Qiu Heng paused.

"Take care, Sixth Miss Qiu."

Xue Han watched Qiu Heng go in through the side gate, then hurried back to the Imperial City Bureau.

"Hu Si."

"Right here, sir." Hu Si glanced at Xue Han and said offhandedly, "Boss, you changed clothes. That color looks good on you."

Xue Han paused briefly, then said flatly, "Starting today, pick two guys who keep their mouths shut and are good at staying hidden, and have them tail Sixth Miss Qiu."

Hu Si was shocked. "Tail who?"

Watch the red bean cake? Did he hear that right?

"Sixth Miss Qiu, Qiu Heng."

Hu Si blinked.

He hadn't misheard.

So he had misunderstood, thinking they were tailing a spy.

"Boss, that's not appropriate, is it?"

Even if he wanted to get to know the red bean cake, he couldn't just stalk the girl!